The Way It Isn't
by athenian7656
Summary: Rizzles, but a focus on story with romance thrown in. A defense attorney for a familiar guest star complicates things for Jane and Maura while they try to solve a crime against humanity.
1. Chapter 1

"You shouldn't do that so much, it'll break", Maura tucked her hair back behind her ear as she lowered herself into the clunky old chair in Jane's apartment. Jane kicked at the refrigerator door again despite Maura's protestations, letting it bounce until she kicked it shut finally. The whole apartment was falling apart, Jane's neglect obvious on both a micro and macro level. The small things were dusty, while large things like piles of clothes were spread out everywhere in places they shouldn't have been. It depressed Maura, reminded her of when Jane was recovering from her gunshot, a time she never wanted to relive.

Maura looked at the dust bunnies resting by Jane's baseboards, at Jo Friday's sad expression as he puffed out in the bunny's direction, and watched them dance in front of his eyes. "Jane..." Maura started. Jane looked up quickly, catching Maura's eye for barely a split second before she ducked her head down again, her hands hiding her face completely. Under her hands, Jane rolled her eyes without intending to. Even though she knew Maura was only trying to help, Jane couldn't help but be annoyed that her best friend had to be so logical and practical at a time like this. It made it hard for Jane to feel comfortable feeling emotional around Maura, like she should also learn to keep things so well compartmentalized. Jane sometimes felt more afraid of herself around Maura, her protective streak making her want to remain composed enough to rescue them at all times, should anything come up. Something often did, especially when Jane let her guard down. But now it was over, right?

"Look Maura, it's just how it is, okay? There's nothing I can do about it, and there's nothing even you, with your gigantic egg head can do, either". They sat in silence for a little while, Jane's words hovering in the air between them, Maura's silence the evidence of her own frustration with Jane. How was Maura supposed to help with anything if Jane would never let her try? She could at least comfort Jane, if nothing else. Maura caught a bit of her lip between her teeth, worrying it slightly as she herself felt increasingly anxious. She sighed and mumbled halfheartedly "you know there is no correlation between the size of one's cranium and..."

Jane peeked through her hands again, a small smile twitching at the corner of her mouth, trying to escape. Slowly, Jane's hands opened to show her whole face, her eyes resting on Maura's hands across the table, mirroring her own. "I know he won't be coming back now, I just need some time to figure out who I am without him" Jane said, as she composed herself finally, straightening her posture and tucking her hair behind one ear. "I understand that. I just thought you should know that if you need anything, I'm here. We haven't really talked lately" Maura said hesitantly. Jane knew Maura was right, she hadn't felt like confiding in Maura much since Maura's true love came to town and completely changed the dynamic she thought they had. Jane couldn't rationalize her response to Dr. Africa, she only knew that something about Maura felt sneakier now, was less pure. Before, Jane had always thought of Maura as extremely intelligent but hopelessly naive. Now she knew better, and Jane knew better than to trust her fully. Just because the good Dr. himself was gone now, didn't mean Jane's memory of those half-truths and glaring omissions had faded yet. But Jane knew Maura was the closest thing she had to a best friend, and that wasn't worth throwing away by having some fight over some guy. That was just too ridiculous, would make their friendship too much of a stereotype; the female best friends arguing over a guy. So she held it in. This time Jane had to heal alone, and that would just have to be okay with everyone involved.

Maura just looked at Jane the whole time as she waited, counting the seconds as they passed, the vibe of the room becoming increasingly tense and strained. Jane finally lifted her eyes from Maura's hands to her face. Looking into Maura's eyes was hard for some reason, it made Jane flinch away involuntarily, like looking directly into the sun would. Sighing a little, Jane decided to accept the chore of making things right between them for the moment. Maura's silence always worried Jane, she was used to the constant array of seemingly random but oddly relevant bits of information Maura was usually constantly spouting off about it. "Hey, babe..." Maura kept her eyes even with Jane's in a still mask of practiced patience that suddenly melted away to one that showed relief when she heard Jane call her 'babe'. Jane's affectionate gaze always calmed Maura somehow, just the way Jane got those little lines of affection right under them when she looked at her made Maura feel safer; loved. Jane reached a bit further, tapped her finger against Maura's hand gently, almost as if by accident.

"I promise, I'm okay. Will you trust me?" Jane waited, but she didn't have to wait long. As if she had been waiting to hear those words, and to be released from the fear that they would never come, Maura felt even more intense relief rush through her. "Great! You know, it's nothing to be ashamed of, we all need a loving support system when we handle trauma". Jane almost chuckled a little in response to this, her nose crinkling up a little in amusement even though her voice itself stayed (almost) entirely serious, "well Doc, next time I almost lose my best friend to a crazy rapist serial killer pig because I can't get myself together in time, I will remember to ask for help from my loved ones". Maura let Jane make the joke, she laughed a little even, sat back in her chair and re-crossed her legs daintily. Maura could deal with Jane's sarcastic jokes, it was her pain that she had trouble with. Though Maura had never been good at knowing how to handle other people's emotions, the bad ones were the hardest. She valued her intelligence very highly, and it was only with Jane that Maura really wished she was different sometimes, that she could be better at understanding Jane's strong emotions and moods.

Jane's eyes swept over Maura a little anxiously, checking for injuries now that the weirdest moments had passed. "Are you okay? I mean, you can talk to me too, y'know?" Maura smiled a little at Jane, as if she thought Jane's concern was cute. "You can feed Bass for me if you want to, I am a little sleepy". "What?" Jane asked incredulously. This was not what she had been expecting when she offered Maura her support. "I'm sleepy, I'd like to go to bed now. Would you mind feeding Bass?" "Ummm...no, I guess not?" Jane said as she watched Maura lift herself up from the table, grab her tea cup and saucer, and head towards the sink. "I mean, but...isn't his food like right there?" Maura acted like she hadn't heard Jane at first, she rinsed the dishes and then wiped the counter efficiently. "Yes, you know I keep his food very easily accessible so that you can find it." Maura said as she turned toward her bedroom. "Are you staying here?" she asked Jane on her way out. "Yeah, okay, but can I have a couple of your fancy schmancy pillows? The ones with the fluffy middles and the firm outsides?" Jane looked like a kid when she talked about the pillows, and Maura couldn't help but be charmed. "Sure, come get them when you're done". Maura turned on her heel more sharply than she meant to, but she gracefully caught herself on the door frame. Jane grinned, but pretended not to notice, and began to rummage around for Bass's food. Why couldn't Maura do this herself again? Wasn't she standing right there? Jane sighed and reached for the carrot and tomatoes Maura had organized by ripeness for that day. They were neatly labelled according to Maura's eerily precise predictions of tastiness (due to the highest possible vitamin content at their highest moment of freshness). Jane thought there were too many "nesses" involved in the whole thing. Grabbing the closest vegetable tray, she plopped it down next to Bass's clunky shell, and looked around at the room. It was silent, empty, but the air that had been so thick before was becoming denser again somehow. Escaping it as quickly as she could, Jane grabbed her bag and made her way down the hallway.

The light by the head of the bed was the only one lit . Maura was reading something that looked dusty, with words like tiny ants crawling around on the pages. Jane wrinkled her nose, wishing for the millionth time that Maura would put a television in her room. They didn't have sleep overs very often anymore, but when they did, Jane spent a lot of time wishing there were more televisions around. The plain fact was that Maura didn't talk to Jane as much now either and Jane was bored a lot when they did have moments alone.

Jane looked outside of Maura's window, she saw the leaves flying past and noticed the sound of the branches tapping against the side of the house. It was somehow creepy and comforting at the same time. Comforting to be inside with Maura, cozy, and Hoyt free. "Jane. I was scared. I usually don't feel scared, I often just feel curious when things that scare other people happen, but I was scared this time". Maura looked up from her book and placed a fancy golden bookmark into the crease of the pages she had left off on. Jane came closer to Maura, just by a few inches, her feet sinking into the plush carpet as she neared the bed. The space seemed enormous between them.

"Even smart people get scared Maura. In fact, it's instinct, you of all people should know that". Jane continued, "it means you're smart enough to get out of the way when a boulder falls or a lion rushes at you". "Natural selection, very good, Jane!" Maura sounded more enthusiastic than she had intended to. "Really, Maura? 'Good job?'" Jane said as she stopped her speech about the laws of nature and looked peeved. Not knowing what she had done wrong, Maura looked hurt, and bit her lip again, the spots from her earlier nibbles starting to feel a bit sore as she did so. "You're going to give yourself a fancy new lip piercing if you don't stop doing that thing with your teeth" Jane advised Maura in a warmer tone. They both paused for a second.

"Sit" said Maura, patting the bed next to her. "There?" Jane asked incredulously, looking at the spot so very close to Maura's side, it was just a bit too close, she thought. Maura nodded, smiling a little finally. Seeing that smile, Jane knew she couldn't refuse. She sat down on the bed next to Maura, her long legs swinging off of the side of the bed, her torso turned slightly towards Maura. "Hey" Maura said softly, taking Jane's closest hand in hers. "We'll both be able to function much more effectively if we get some REM. Let's just try to sleep now, okay?" Jane could see that Maura needed to know it was okay to relax now, so she nodded in agreement. "You stop biting your lip, and I'll let you keep your pillows". "You can have them, Jane, they don't suit my spine's natural alignment". "No thanks", Jane said as she stood up and brushed herself off. Maura handed Jane a pillow with a smile, "here", she pushed it at Jane playfully. Jane took the pillow with a grin, and exited the bedroom, their mutual 'goodnights' following her out of the bedroom door, down the hallway.

The next morning saw Maura up early in her running clothes. Jane was stilled snoring in the other room, the soft grumblings just audible through the thick wood door as Maura walked past. Maura stopped, listening to the evidence of Jane's rest. This was all she had wanted for Jane last night, and she was glad she had somehow been able to help Jane get it. A little smile played on Maura's lips as she slipped out of the house, breaking into a brisk jog and entering the sunrise's cold embrace.

Korsak and Frost were already in the office, munching on some treats by her desk, when Jane sauntered into the room. It had been her plan to act like nothing had happened when she came back from her mini-vacation, but Jane knew better than to expect that plan to be successful. Frost was the first to come towards her, his arms outspread as though he thought he would somehow be getting a hug from Jane. Jane shrunk back a little, giving Frost a look that said 'woah, buddy, what do you think you're doing?'. Frost stopped and smiled, moving one of his hands down and awkwardly clapping Jane on the arm with the other. "Good job, buddy!" he exclaimed. Jane just gave him a look, then glanced at Korsak. "What are YOU looking at?" Frost's eyes got big and he looked back at his fashion magazine "women's Spring styles for 2012", Korsak replied. Korsak knew how to handle Jane, he knew she didn't want compliments, and assurances could wait for later. "You should go down to the morgue, Maura would love to fill you in about the historical importance of this year's shoe collection". Korsak looked a little too excited about that "really? does she know anything about sling-backs? I don't get why they don't just put a whole back in..." Jane lifted an eyebrow at Korsak, then at Frost. Suddenly, she was grinning, "I think I missed you guys" Jane said, surprised at her own words, and broke into a small chuckle. "And on that note, would you like to see our newest puzzle?" Frost asked. 'Yes', Jane thought, 'this I can handle.' Frost shoved a file at her, the three off them gathered around Jane's desk, and they settled down into the morning's routine once again.

Jane stared at the pictures in front of her. So many cases passed their desks that it was hard to feel anything at all about some of the things she saw. In the beginning, she had been working entirely off of the passion she felt for police work, her eyes blinded to the worst parts. Somewhere around the time that she had shot herself, the lines between her own life and the lives of those she was sworn to protect became blurrier. Now that Jane had lain to rest the worst fear she had, losing someone she loved to Hoyt, she had imagined things would get better. Yet, the crime scene she was looking at stirred something in her that she thought was gone for good. The boy in the photos was only 6, he seemed almost to be smiling beatifically at the camera, immersed as he was in his own blood. Jane rubbed the bridge of her nose as she stared at his face. Her head dropped into her hands, her curls fell around her face, blocking the room from her view and vise-versa.

Frost's hand clamped down on Jane's shoulder with a firmness that could only be interpreted as "snap out of it". It was Frost's way of being kind, his quiet assurance that he was there and that she needed to buck up. Jane swept her hair back, straightened in the chair, and looked at Frost with an annoyed expression. "Hey, you doin' alright?" Frost asked hesitantly. Jane finished composing herself, "never been better. Can't beat a day that starts out with a dead kid", she grumbled. Korsak snorted from the other side of the room. "We're riding out to see the place now, you wanna come?" Frost asked. Jane pushed herself roughly up from the desk and replied, "Yeah, I need to see this myself. Maura coming?" Korsak smiled to himself at Jane's need for what he thought of as her 'comfort blanket', although he would never admit to having such thoughts to Jane. Frost shook his head 'no', but Jane seemed to be spaced out anyway, staring at the picture again as if she had forgotten what they were supposed to be doing. "C'mon", Frost said, as he once again dared to touch Jane (not always a good idea), pulling her lightly towards the door.

The room was dimly lit, only a small window by the door illuminated the bloody floor. The spot the boy had lain in was empty now, his body probably already stashed somewhere in Maura's deep freezes. Jane remembered the chicken cordon bleu sandwich she had given Maura to hold on to for her that morning, and shuddered. Not so hungry right now. Jane knelt next to the place where the six year old had died, her hand accidently brushing the carpet. Hearing the click of heels become louder and then fade as they entered the carpeted room, Jane turned towards the door. Maura was standing there, the contrast of the sun streaming in behind her creating an almost angelic scene as she minced into the room. Maura would not want to mess up any possible evidence for forensics, so she often gracefully tip-toed across crime scenes. "Hey" Jane said, catching Maura's eye. "Jane! I couldn't find you before you left, but I wanted to tell you what I found on our victim's body bicep…" Jane was curious now, she did not know Maura had even had a chance to look at the kid's corpse yet. "and…?" Maura was silent for a moment, her right hand nervously played with her hair. "…Later that same day…" Jane muttered. Never taken aback by Jane's rude comments, Maura finished her sentence, "he seems to have had a tattoo removed, but I can't tell what it was yet. It seems consistent with the practice of 'branding'. Perhaps he was considered property by someone, but I can't say yet." "Of course you can't," said Jane, as she placed her hands on her knees and used them to push herself up from her squatting position.

Suddenly a woman rushed into the room, past the tape and cops lined up outside. The woman's hand was clamped over her mouth, her eyes bugged out of her head. "Jasmine! NO!" she wailed, and preceded to sob heavily into her hand. Maura looked as though she wanted to comfort the woman but was also extremely uncomfortable, and unsure as to how. Jane walked over to the stranger and put an arm around her, leading her back out of the doorway. In the glaring sunlight, a stark contrast to the inside of the apartment, Jane could see how hard the woman's life had been on her physically. She couldn't have been more than forty, but her skin was rough and pebbled with the marks of hard times and worry. "You're pretty brave for barreling through all of those cops outside. I'm a detective in homicide, you can call me Jane. What's going on here? Who is Jasmine?" The woman looked confused and shocked for a second, but managed to hiccup out "Jasmine is my daughter". Jane didn't like to assume anything, so she took a minute to take this in. "We found a young boy here, but no there was no girl with him. As far as I know, your daughter is still alive. Can you tell me why you thought she might be here?" The woman should have looked more relieved, but she still looked terrified. "OH!" she clamped her hand tighter over her mouth. "I need you to tell me what's going on here, okay?" Jane tried her best to stay calm, but she wanted to shake the woman, to impart upon her how important it was for them to know as much as possible about what had happened, especially if there was another potential victim. "I…I think she might have been here yesterday. She came here sometimes after school when I wasn't able to get home in time from work". "Whose apartment is this? You must know them, or you wouldn't have let her come," Jane asked. The woman stared at the door to the apartment for a minute and the turned to Jane, looking suddenly determined, "my brother, it's my brother's apartment".

That night Jane spread the pictures out in front of her on the desk and tried to imagine the crime scene as it occurred. Maura was still in the lab, doing her best to figure out what had once been imprinted on the young boy's skin. Jane had gotten nowhere trying to find out where the boy came from and who his family was. They had even less information on the motive for the murder. Jane leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms across her chest, and using her foot against the desk to rock herself a little. Sometimes just sitting in a certain way helped her concentrate enough to see things she hadn't before. "Bbbbrrriiinggg" the phone startled Jane into almost falling from her precarious position, but she managed to stay upright as she reached for it. "Rizzoli!" she answered more loudly than she had intended to. Looking up, she saw Maura standing in the doorway, one arm clasped over some papers she held close to her chest. Jane cocked her eyebrow inquisitively at Maura, inviting her in silently while she listened to the person on the line. Maura moved quietly inside, settling herself in the chair opposite Jane. The expression on Jane's face turned from boredom to excitement as she listened to the person on the phone. Jane quickly scribbled something on to a piece of paper she found next to her. Not much for pleasantries, Jane got off the phone quickly, and thrust the paper at Maura. On it, a name was written: "Bill O'Reilly". Maura cocked her head at Jane, a small smile playing on the side of her mouth. "They found a cart of VHS and sound recordings of his shows out back, someone was trying to cart them away and got interrupted," Jane explained. Maura looked very curiously at the writing, and then brightened up again. "I found something. I can't tell you what it means exactly, but the scarring shows that three letters were tattooed on the boy's bicep. The first letter is obviously a 'F', but I can't guess what the others are," Maura said. Jane looked at Maura with impatience, "c'mon, Maura. I know you can tell me what they look like at least". Maura shook her head at Jane, her bouncy locks of hair following the movement. "I will say that the last two could be an 'a' and a 'g', but that is not conclusive," Maura replied. Jane looked very satisfied that she had been able to make Maura speculate, while Maura looked put out. "Congrats, doc. You just earned yourself a beer a la Jane". "Oh? I know I usually prefer the darker variety, but perhaps tonight we could go with a more amber wheat…" Maura trailed off a bit as Jane grabbed her by the jacket and pulled her out of her chair, towards the elevators.

At Jane's house, Maura curled up on the couch under an afghan. The weather was getting worse by the day and Jane didn't seem to believe in turning on the heat. "I'm figuring out this connection to Bill O'Reilly in the morning, I don't even want to know what he has to do with this," Jane announced from the kitchen as she popped open the cap to Maura's beer and brought it over. Maura looked up and smiled at Jane, receiving the glass bottle graciously. It was always special to Maura when Jane did the little things, like opening her beer for her and bringing it to her. Jane flopped down on the other side of the couch, noticeably far away from Maura. Although this made Maura's brow crinkle a bit, she was coming to expect the physical distance Jane was putting between them so regularly these days. Whatever it meant, Jane was still a good friend to Maura, and that was more than she could ask for. Jane rested her head back on the armrest and stared at her ceiling as Maura took some small sips of the beer. "Y'know, I hope this isn't one of those hate crimes. I hate hate." Maura almost spat out her beer in a giggle, "Jane, how can you say you despise an emotion that you yourself are projecting? Isn't that a bit hypocritical?" Jane lifted her head to see Maura, "yeah, I'm a hypocrite. Sue me," she said, as she leaned forward even more to take a big swig of her own beer. Jane rolled her eyes and rested her head back down on the couch. Maura wriggled a little towards Jane without realizing it, and then tucked her feet back underneath her when she noticed how close she was getting to the other woman's legs. Maura was suddenly very conscious of her proximity to Jane, an awareness she had noticed growing in her for a little while now. Jane seemed oblivious, lost in the case again perhaps. "May I sleep on your couch, I seem to be sleepier than I anticipated," Maura asked in a quiet voice. Jane lifted her head again and smiled at Maura "no, I'll take the couch. You can have the bed this time" she answered. Maura smiled to herself at Jane's thoughtfulness. The night rested easily around them, as they settled into their comfortable bedtime routines.

The next morning brought with it more harsh realities. Unable to come up with any other leads at all, Jane found it impossible to contact Bill O'Reilly through his team of annoyingly diplomatic staff. Jane was livid with frustration, and even Maura knew better than to approach her. Seemingly out of mid-air, a woman appeared in front of Jane's desk. She was in her late twenties, but obviously used to being respected and feared. Her long hair rested neatly against the lapels of her pinstripe fitted business jacket. The white dress shirt underneath it stopped just short of being inappropriately low cut, and a silver locket nestled itself between an amazing set of tits. Jane didn't even like women "like that", but she couldn't help but notice how well-put-together this woman was. Jane also couldn't help but notice that the woman was still standing there, as if she was expecting some sort of acknowledgement. Jane looked up at her, annoyed. "Hello Detective Rizzoli". "Yes? Can I help you?" Jane said pointedly back. "I've come here to find out why you are so interested in speaking to my client, Mr. O'Reilly. I am his lawyer, and I have been given the authority to represent him." That was all Jane needed to get really and truly pissed off. How dare this asshole send some woman to speak for him when a young boy had been murdered, and why would any woman want to work for such a pig in the first place. O'Reilly was not known for his respect for women as a whole. Yet Jane was somehow drawn to her, perhaps she just wanted to question her, ask her why. If so, Jane was in luck, because as far as questioning went, the woman was all she had to work with.

They went for coffee. Not to the usual place Jane went to, but to the posh place down the street. The hipster populated cafe's ironic placement of a deer's head creeped Jane out a little. Not that Jane wasn't used to hunting trophies, she had a few of her own, but this one seemed especially disturbing for some reason. Perhaps it was the woman in front of her who was really setting Jane at such unease. Returning with two coffees, the stranger sat down primly in the chair opposite Jane. "I am Amelia. I've been working for Mr. O'Reilly for three years now. He has given me permission to answer whatever questions you have that I deem appropriate. So go ahead, Detective". Amelia smiled a little wickedly at Jane over her cup, and Jane felt a weird weakness in her lower gut, almost a dizziness of sorts. "We found a lot of your client's radio and television shows at a crime scene recently. A young boy was killed, and we're looking for any connection, possible motive or relationship your client might be aware of between himself and…" Jane didn't know how to finish, couldn't remember why she would think Bill O'Reilly might know anything about her case. "…a murderous jerk who kills kids?" Amelia finished for her with smirk. Although it appeared that Amelia was trying to come off as amused by Jane's line of thought, she did not seem nearly as put off by it as Jane would have expected. "Well, yeah," Jane acknowledged. Amelia tossed her hair back and scooted closer to Jane. "Look, my client can be a bit of an asshole, even he will tell you that. But he's not really cut out for murder. Too lazy…and he gets a bad rap, you know?" Amelia looked intently into Jane's eyes, trying to disorient her. Jane stared back as hard as she could, but she couldn't help but to be a bit intimidated. Something about this woman threw Jane off of her normal game. She was obviously smart, and very aware of everything around her at all times. Jane was used to being the alpha hawk. Clearing her throat a little, Jane found herself admitting something to the woman that she didn't want to, "…we have no other leads" she stated quietly. The woman seemed to be finally thrown off her own game by Jane's sudden honesty. A look of sympathy crossed her face. Jane took that moment to sit up and reorient herself. "I don't know how your client is tied to this, but he is somehow. Our perp took special care of those tapes for a reason. There's a dead kid, more could be in danger, and I have nothing," Jane was finally able to say.

Amelia sat there, unsure of what to say. She had expected to just walk in and shut Jane's protestations down, as she dismissed their investigation into O'Reilly as intended slander. Now she couldn't help but be pulled towards Jane's unintentional admissions of ignorance, the emotion she could hear behind them. Amelia picked uneasily at a piece of string that was unraveling from her chest pocket. She could feel Jane's eyes on her, watching her bow her head, following down to the curves beneath her jacket as Amelia plucked at it. Unable to stop a slow blush, Amelia tried to feign confidence, saying, "I'm sure we'd be happy to answer any questions you have as long as my client is not being considered a suspect." Jane intentionally crossed her fingers beneath her chair, leaned forward, and growled more seductively than she had intended to, "we are not currently investigating either of you. However, that could change at any moment." Jane seemed to realize how sexually suggestive this sounded as she ended her sentence; her posture changed as she came to the realization. Trying to regain composure, brushing her hair back behind her ear, Jane sat up straight again. Amelia was also collecting herself, placing her cell phone and wallet back into the sleek, fashionable briefcase so symbolically linked to her profession. Jane stood, leaned with one hand against the chair she had recently occupied, and waited for Amelia to stand as well. They stood there in a semi-awkward silence for a moment, before Jane reached her hand out to offer it to Amelia. This was a new kind of moment, reminiscent of some of the feelings she had around Maura once in a while, but less familiar, less comfortable. Amelia met Jane's eyes and grip with equal intensity, giving an extra squeeze that Jane couldn't ignore. "Pleasure to meet you, Detective, despite the circumstances." Jane smiled at Amelia for the first time, the crinkles in the corners of her smiles growing deeper as she did so. "It was alright, for a murder investigation. You'll hear from me soon," Jane replied bemusedly. Amelia smiled back at Jane, turned on her heel, and headed out the door before Jane could say 'goodbye'. Standing there, the last several hours hit Jane all at once. Her stomach knotted as she thought of what Maura had been doing, a growing unease confusing her as she tried to figure out where to go next.

Frost was trying to figure out what Maura was talking about now. She'd been going on about bone structure in small amphibians for at least an hour, and he still had no idea what she was hinting at, or how it pertained to the investigation at hand. Jane's interruption was warmly welcomed, as she barreled into the morgue in her usual cavalier manner. Frost was visibly relieved by the interruption, turning towards Jane with a big grin. "That's my cue, have fun ladies", he said as he backed out of the room. Jane ignored Frost and strode over to Maura, more confidently than she had in a while. Maura noticed Jane's new demeanor, she hid a small grin with her hair as she cut into the young boy's foot. She had seen a glint of something shiny resting in the skin of his sole earlier while she had been explaining Occam's Razor to him. She couldn't help but notice that he had been paying more attention to the incisions she was making than to her words. Jane, however, was more interested in what Maura had to say. She stood there as though she expected something from Maura, her hand resting on her hip. "Yes, Jane?" Maura finally asked. "I spent all day with a spoiled brat teeny-bopper lawyer, you better have something for me", Jane spat. They were both surprised at the anger in Jane's voice. If she had time, Jane would have asked herself why she was feeling this sudden intense impatience with Maura, but she didn't have that time now. Afraid to make things worse, Maura did her best to answer Jane, "well, I'm sure now that the word spelled on our victim's body is "F.A.G.", and I've just noticed something in the sole of his foot that I was about to investigate before you arrived". Maura leaned down toward the corpse on the slab, her hair falling like a curtain between her and Jane. The quietness of Maura's voice helped Jane to collect her emotions, and she was able to calm herself enough to say her next words in an even tone, "that's great, really, it is". Jane threw one leg over the chair to the side of the wall near Maura, she hefted herself onto it. "Something about that woman, O'Reilly's lawyer, is just off. I don't know what it is…" Jane lost herself in her own thoughts. Maura cocked her head at Jane and moved a little closer, leaning against the metal table by the wall. "How does she make you feel?" Maura asked. Jane looked off into the corner thoughtfully and bit her lip. "She makes me feel….weird." Jane finally answered. Maura didn't know what to say, and they sat there in silence.

The door slammed shut behind her as Jane kicked off her boots and pulled off her belt, slinging it onto the couch. After spending the last couple of nights with Maura, the night already felt lonely and empty. Jane couldn't help but wonder what Maura was doing while she sat there by herself. She thought maybe she should try to cook something for dinner, but the hour for that meal had long ago passed. Clicking on the game and throwing herself back on the couch, Jane finally relaxed her body for the first time since before that woman had walked into her office. Amelia was more than met the eye, and what met Jane's eye was leaving her with questions she didn't even have the right words to formulate. A scratching noise was coming from the corner of the room. Jane instantly was alert, reaching for her gun, ready to hunt. Jo Friday poked her nose out from behind the cupboard door, sniffing around for any crumbs she might have missed the first thousand times she had gone over the kitchen floor. Jane sighed with relief and tried to settle back down into the couch. The way Amelia had looked at Jane as they had said goodbye kept running through Jane's mind. That image, and many more of Maura looking at her in much the same way, pestered Jane incessantly. Maura's smile was different, was warmer and kinder, but there was no mistaking the slight similarity. What was it about her lips, the shape they made, that resonated when Jane saw Amelia's smile? Jane was more concerned about this than the case for the moment, and she couldn't decide whether or not that was a good thing. The feeling in her gut was growing, however, into something more insistent. Jane could feel a tingle spreading like emptiness down to her groin. Jane grabbed at herself absently, noticing the uncomfortable feeling of unwarranted wetness between her thighs. Was she menstruating? Curious, she stretched out the edge of her panties and slipped her hand inside of them. Her fingers grasped for the slit between her legs, her long index finger found the slipperiest spot, slid inside of it, inside of herself. The sensation was more intense than Jane had expected, and she shivered a little with it. Jane's nipples were hardening, and all she had wanted was to see if she was bleeding. She stopped herself and pulled her hand out from her pants quickly, looking to see what the wetness was. Not her period, definitely not. The clear liquid between her fingers was glaring evidence that she could not be anything other than turned on. What she couldn't figure out was why. Something about smiles, about Amelia, about Maura. Nothing Jane wanted to think about; all Jane wanted was some sleep. She laid her head back and sighed, not allowing herself relief this time, not until she solved this mystery.

The boy was still unidentified. Maura had stayed up last night looking at the glass in the bottom of his foot, but had only discovered one thing. The glass had been in his foot before he had died, and it appeared to be rounded in ways that suggested it had come from a glass bottle. Taking her eyes away from the microscope, Maura straightened up just as Frost entered the morgue. "Hey, you seen Jane?" Frost asked. "Good morning, Detective Frost. Jane hasn't been in here yet today." Maura moved to resume her activities, but Frost seemed intent on distracting her. "What do you think happened here? Do we have cause of death?" Maura was annoyed by pre-emptory questions, but she was also patient, so she guided Frost through the specifics of what she had found, ending with "therefore, we have found no cause of death". This was hardly a satisfactory answer, and Maura knew it. She fidgeted with her hair a little and pretended to look at her papers on the desk. When Frost finally left, Maura went back over to the examining table. The boy laid there just as he had for days, offering up no help and answering no questions. Maura went to the boy's foot, peering intently at the skin on his sole where she had found the bit of glass. A dark stain she had first dismissed as blood was still deep in the skin there. Maura pulled a small flake of it off and placed the skin into a petri dish. Taking it over to the machine that would uncover more about the stain's origins, Maura sighed to herself. This case was proving itself to be less forthcoming than most of the cases they handled. Jane's stressed out demeanor was rubbing off on Maura finally. As Maura hovered over the whirring machine, her face became tighter with an increasing anxiety: …and what was eating Jane?

Too full, that was all; Jane had just eaten too much. She sat in her car, one hand on her seatbelt, the other resting against the barrel of her gun. Her left hand unconsciously twitched above the gun, seemingly itching to grip it. Jane was slumped in the driver's seat of her undercover, waiting for Frost to get back from his pee break. They were stationed outside of the radio station O'Reilly was scheduled to appear at. Frost had stumbled off in a bit of a food coma after their "brunch" of bacon cheeseburgers and pancakes. Jane's own stomach felt a little uncomfortable, and she patted it absentmindedly. So far no one had been back or forth through the door they were watching. It was a boring stake-out. Frost waddled slowly back towards the car from across the parking lot. Jane watched his usually quick gait as it currently resembled nothing less than an eighty year old man's walk (one with colitis). "Any luck with the crapper sitch'?" Jane asked. Frost shook his head 'no', clutching his belly and moaning a little. Jane would have laughed out loud were it not for his pitiful eyes. As it was, she inched up in the seat and looked more intently on the door of the building, as Frost painstakingly lowered himself back into the car. Rolling the windows down, Jane rested her work-shirt clad arm on the edge where the window had been. They had a moment of silence, where only the sound of the nearby freeway cut through the air, and Frost's intermittent low groans sometimes interrupted the whir. Over by the doorway, Jane saw two guards exit the building. She sat up and tapped Frost on the arm in excitement. Frost lolled his head to the side, to where Jane had poked him, and back up to the window. He watched as well, as the men opened the door for a hooded figure. The mysterious person seemed to be none other than O'Reilly himself, but one couldn't say for sure. Jane wanted to wipe her car window in order to get a better look, but realized that no amount of wiping would get her a clear enough image to be sure. The men were looking around as the presumed O'Reilly exited the building and neared a parked Jeep. The last person to exit the building was none other than Jane's new buddy, Amelia. Amelia seemed to be looking around a lot, as though she were worried about someone watching them. Jane thought 'yep, I am watching you, lady'. Amelia kept walking toward O'Reilly and Jane suddenly had a very bad feeling. Ignoring the protests for rationality and reasonability that flooded her brain as she did so, Jane ejected herself from the car at an amazing pace. Before Frost could register what was happening, Jane was across the parking lot and tackling Amelia to the ground.

When she looked up, Jane realized everything was quiet. Nobody was screaming, no sirens were blaring, nothing had exploded. There was only a shocked silence from both her own, and Amelia's, camps. The men waiting by the car for the lawyer seemed amused now that their fear was fading, and Frost seemed to have forgotten all about his stomach as he stood by the undercover car and laughed silently. Amelia brushed herself off, wriggling out from under Jane. "Hello, Detective", she said evenly. Never one to be made a fool of, Jane could think of no way to play this one cool. Jane stood as quickly as she could and offered Amelia help on the rest of her way up off of the ground. O'Reilly clomped over with his men, looking mighty angry. Jane was not intimidated by him, and her embarrassment was quickly being replaced with a rage she felt only when humiliated. O'Reilly would be a perfect target. "YES?" Jane said before O'Reilly could open his mouth. Amelia looked stunned, obviously not used to anyone speaking to her employer that way. "What do you think you are doing, you trashy dyke? I thought you cops were above molesting women in the street, or is the law enforcement profession going down the drain now that girls are allowed to play even with boys?" O'Reilly spewed at Jane with seemingly no forethought. Jane was taken aback by the cruelty of his words, but she recovered quickly. "Excuse me, sir," Jane said sarcastically, "but I was under the impression that your lawyer was in danger. It is my job to protect everyone here, as an officer of the law". O'Reilly only snorted and nodded in mock agreement. Amelia brushed the remaining dirt off of her skirt and turned to Jane with a confused look on her face. "Thank you, Detective…I think", she said as she finally recovered from the shock of the whole thing. Jane looked bashful all of a sudden, she regarded the toe of her boot very inquisitively while she felt Amelia's eyes on her. Amelia released Jane from her gaze and rejoined O'Reilly and his men by the Jeep. Jane looked up finally, waved, and scooted back towards Frost. "Not your usual mo. Rizzoli," Frost remarked as Jane returned. Jane gave Frost a glance that would whither a testicle in less than a second flat. Frost felt his balls start to do just that, and gulped in fear. Jane stormily dropped herself back into the driver's seat and started the engine. "I need to go talk to Maura about something" she said, and pulled off back towards the lab.

It was rarely so busy in the station. Jane wondered what all the fuss was about until she caught sight of Korsak amongst the milling crowds. "Jane!" Korsak exclaimed as he neared her, pulling her to one side of the room. "What's going on? I leave for a second and…" Korsak interrupted her, "Jane, it's everywhere. The boy, we know who he is now. You haven't heard?" he led her to the television in the corner of the room. Frost was now crowded around the tube as well, along with half of the police station, homicide or not. Jane leaned in so she could hear as the newscaster spouted off a long line of uninteresting things regarding skin cancer. Then they watched as the scene changed to one they were familiar with, the setting being the front of their own station. "A young boy was found the other day in an apartment not far from here, the police station where his body is being autopsied," the male newscaster announced, "although no further details were released, the news media has found that the boy's name is Chester Linfield of Boone, North Carolina. His family has been contacted, and we send our condolences their way. If anyone has any information about this crime, please contact…" Jane whirled around like a force of nature. "WHO. LET. THEM. INONTHIS?" she yelled. The room was instantly silent. Jane looked around carefully, her eyes resting eventually on one young man in a wrinkled uniform. "You!" Jane said, obviously scaring the crap out of the boy. "Yyyyesss?" the boy responded, his voice trembling. "Nevermind" Jane said with annoyance, and spun fully around this time, exiting the room in a rush. Nobody spoke for a moment, but eventually the hum of the office returned, mixed in with occasional spurts of loud exclamations now that more was known about their victim.

Jane was unsatisfied and pissed off. Not only was she unable to make any headway in this case, someone else had, and they had tipped off people who shouldn't know before she had a chance to take the necessary security measures. Now the killer would know where they were in the investigation, and maybe would rest easier for a little while, all along gathering more strength. Jane worried until her head hurt her and her shoulders slumped under the weight. All she wanted was someone to sit next to her, prop her up a little on one side. Her phone vibrated against her hip and the chair. Jane reached down to see who it was, the name 'Amelia' popping up underneath her fingertips. Looking at the phone warily, Jane pressed 'ignore' and returned her head to her hands. The next sound Jane heard was her office door opening. Before she could react, Jane recognized the footsteps and sounds as Maura's, and relaxed again. Coming over as Jane combed her hair back with her fingers, Maura circled around immediately to behind the desk, directly next to Jane. As Jane's eyebrows widened, Maura squatted next to her chair and peered into Jane's face, into her eyes. Jane was completely still, unsure what to do or say in this situation. What was Maura thinking? Maura just stayed that way for a second, then placed her hand on Jane's forehead as if to take her temperature. If it was anyone else, Jane might have thought they were teasing her for acting crazy, but with Maura Jane knew that this was an expression of genuine concern. Still, Jane shied away from Maura's hand, batting it out of the air with her own. Maura backed up and off of Jane, towards the desk, not without concern still showing on her face. "You heard?" Jane asked. "Yes, I did" Maura replied. The room was quiet. Maura settled herself more evenly on the edge of the desk and waited for Jane to say something else. "In a room full of idiots, how am I the last to know something like this?" Jane asked. Maura shot Jane a look. "You weren't in the room, Doc" Jane said teasingly, shooting Maura a quick grin. Maura preened without meaning to, taking a minute to flick her hair back and resettle her ass against the wood of the desk in a somehow graceful, sexy way. Jane couldn't help but notice Maura's little wriggle, and the way it made her own body, her pussy, respond. It wasn't normal, something new had been happening ever since that Amelia woman had peered at Jane over her desk that day. Maura was a friend, and both she and Amelia were women. Jane had never thought of women in that way before, had not even considered it an option. She found men's bodies to be sexy when they were fit and strong, and thinking about doing anything with a woman like "that" made Jane feel slightly nauseous. She didn't even like the way her own "area" smelled. Despite the fact that those things made her shudder, Jane was still drawn to Maura and Amelia in ways that she had never felt drawn to anyone else before. Looking back, Jane realized that she had always felt this about Maura, but it had taken Amelia's abrupt entry into her life for Jane to see what that feeling was made of. One of the ingredients was definitely lust, which was causing an increasingly tense moment of silence between them.

Maura, on the other hand, really didn't know what was going on. She had been watching Jane squirm around strangely and then swing back into some weird version of pissy Jane for the last two days or so. Sure, Jane was always kind of hard to understand. Maura was learning to extrapolate more every day from her relationship with Jane, in more ways than one. Yet this was different, as though Jane herself had no control at all now over her moods, as though she had lost it. Maura worried greatly for her best friend. She could fix any of Jane's physical injuries, but the things those chemical reactions in her brain caused to happen, well, Maura was the last person Jane would want to ask for help with things like emotions. Sitting on the desk still, Maura became uncomfortable around Jane in a way she never had before. She could feel Jane's eyes on her as she moved, and felt pulled to continue moving that way by them. Drawn to the game of pretending not to notice Jane's stare, Maura re-crossed her legs slowly, allowing for a small second during which her boutique panties peaked out from between her thighs. Jane breathed in shallowly, unable to even attempt to pretend like she was not aware of Maura's body. Her legs resettled, Maura leaned back on her hands and thrust her chest gently out, just slightly closer to Jane's eyes. Her feet rubbing together a little as she did so, Maura tapped one hand's fingers lightly on Jane's desk. Jane seemed to finally become aware of the situation at hand; she sat up abruptly in her chair and pulled her pants up a little, as though she were a guy readjusting himself. Maura was sure now of what was bothering Jane, although she hadn't had a clue just a few moments before. Now Maura herself was confused, left with the knowledge that not figuring this thing out could ruin their friendship, but figuring it out could as well. It was both terrifying and exciting. Looking at Jane for some sort of confirmation, Maura realized that Jane was painfully ignorant of the matter herself. Jane looked lost and unsure in a way that Maura had never seen before. Sure, Maura saw Jane through a lot of hard times, but at the end of the day Jane always figured out who she was again. Yet, Jane looked so confused now that Maura knew she couldn't see the way back for her this time. She went over to Jane's chair again and looked down at her, offering her hand just slightly in Jane's direction. Jane looked at Maura's hand and at Maura, bewildered. Maura reached down just a little bit more and tugged on Jane's hand, asking silently for Jane to take her home.

They drove in silence, the hum of the motor and the rushing by of the houses being the only soundtrack to the ride. Maura found herself shaking one leg up and down in the passenger seat, trying not to glance at Jane at all. Jane was white-knuckled on the steering wheel and completely unaware of it, her only goal not crashing the car. Seeing how distressed Jane was, Maura almost wanted to ask her to pull over and switch, but she knew that would only worsen things and hurt Jane's pride. "This Amelia, that lawyer?" Jane said, obviously trying to keep her voice even. "Yes?" Maura asked as gently as possible. "She makes me feel very uncomfortable." Jane admitted. 'DUH!', Maura wanted to yell, but she couldn't. It was not often that Maura had to repress the urge to yell things, but this time she had to work at it. "I think I may be…attracted...to her," Jane finally managed to eke out as she pulled into Maura's driveway. "I thought you said you weren't attracted to women?" Maura asked, noticing a bit of jealousy in her voice that she had not known was there. "I'm not", Jane pronounced in the most serious of manners. She tried to make her voice heavier, to make it carry more weight. The words sounded flat and hollow. Maura just looked at Jane, who was still avoiding her gaze. Maura waited for Jane to speak again. "What?" Jane asked as she finally whirled around to face Maura. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Jane demanded. "Like what?" Maura asked, hurt. "Like, I dunno, like you expect something" Jane finished. Maura studied Jane's face even as she attempted to look away. Finally Maura said, "I don't expect anything from you, Jane". Maura opened the car door and gracefully removed herself from the seat. Jane sat there and watched as she walked to her house, away from the spot she was so recently in, the spot next to Jane's side.

Awake in bed that night, Jane imagined Maura on top of her, her hair falling over her eyes. They had clothes on, they were at work. Jane was against her desk, Maura was straddling her. There were people around, but they were alone. Jane's hands were on Maura's hips, her eyes on Maura's movements as she grinded against Jane's pelvis. Jane felt herself getting turned on, and decided to allow herself some relief this time, as strange as this new fantasy was to her. She thought of Maura's lips, the shape of them curled into a mischievous smile, the kind she would be wearing when Jane would lean in and steal them with her own. Jane imagined Maura's chest against her own, their skin rubbing together as Maura rode her on that desk, in that room they knew so well. Maura's breasts would be falling out of her work shirt a little, just enough so Jane could nip at them when her mouth got close enough. Their chests would slide together, nipples hardening, until sweat eased their friction. Jane would thrust up against Maura's grinding, pushing their pussies together until they both ached from it. Maura would be moving faster against her, as Jane…as Jane came hard against her own hand, her clit twitching a little with her orgasm. Jane jerked up and then fell back, sweaty, against her pillow. She fell asleep to the sound of her own ragged breathing.

Denial was no longer an option. The obvious was out there now, waiting to be talked about by whoever found it first. Jane was skeptical that anyone but her and Maura may have noticed, but she was still paranoid all morning long. The office was abuzz with gossip about the boy's family. The Linfield's were a respected family in Boston. Most of the officers had heard about them before somehow or another, and no one could stop comparing their stories. Jane was tired of it before it began, and now that it seemed never-ending, she was ready to slay the next person who tried to ask her if she could guess how they knew the Linfields. Chester was on her mind, though. The little boy who had been given such a creepily reminiscent name was still lying dead in the morgue downstairs, and they still had nothing, despite this break about his identity. The boy's parents were coming in that afternoon, so there was a chance that the floodgates could still open soon. Jane rocked in her chair a bit, one ankle resting on the knee of her other leg. Where were this kid's parents? Where had they been this whole time?

Just as those thoughts were running through her mind, Jane looked up to see an older man and woman walking through the doors to the homicide unit. 'Ah, here we go' Jane thought, as she sized them up, taking in their fancy gear and poised gaites. Jane stood and offered her hand to them both, introducing herself and allowing them to settle into their chairs. The Linfields were obviously not used to being questioned by the police, they seemed very aware of everything happening around them, and not one bit amused. Jane noticed the snooty way they turned up their nose at everything they saw, and she tried not to let it affect the way she treated them. However, snobs were not Jane's specialty, at least not when it came to appealing to their better nature.


	2. Chapter 2

Jane wished Maura were there, she was better with this sort of thing. Jane fidgeted with the toy bear on her desk that had shown up after her shooting. It was a small thing, and childish, but she felt comforted by it. Noticing that the couple was watching her, Jane snapped back into reality.

"We found him three days ago, but we couldn't get an I.D. on him. Care to tell me why you didn't contact the police once he went missing?" Jane asked with as little attitude as she could muster. Mrs. Linfield was not at all put off; she seemed to be barely paying any attention. Airily, she sighed, "well, he was always getting into something or another, we had given up." Jane was shocked, "he was SIX, what was he getting into?" she asked. Mr. Linfield cleared his throat and smoothed his pants with one hand as he sat up straighter. "Detective Rizzoli, my wife and I have obviously been sick with worry over this, what can we do to aide your investigation? I'd like to find out who killed my son," he said finally. Jane was expecting to hear something more like this, but wasn't convinced that it was sincere. "I'm with you there," Jane replied. "Okay, fresh start, so what were you two doing three nights ago?" she asked. The woman looked worriedly at her husband, as if for safety. "We were at our house up North, having some cognac and enjoying the change in the weather," Mr. Linfield stated. Jane thought about the nasty storms of the past week and thought that a stiff drink or three sounded like a nice way of handling it. "Do you have witnesses who can confirm this?" Jane asked. Mr. Linfield shook his head, and Mrs. Linfield lowered her eyes. Jane could tell they were hiding something, but was unsure how much it pertained to the investigation. "I need you to think hard to remember if anyone saw you that night, because otherwise I'll have to leave you both on the list of potential suspects," Jane stood to emphasize her point, indicating with one arm that they were free to leave now. "I'll have more questions for you. Both." Jane looked steadily at Mrs. Linfield as she said 'both'. Mrs. Linfield appeared unfazed once again, she had pulled her mask back on. The Linfields stood and followed Jane to the door. The room was uncomfortably tense. Jane hated that feeling, so she shooed them out as quickly as possible and collapsed back down into her desk chair. Something was poking around in the back of her memory, but Jane couldn't place what it was. There was a nagging feeling that she had forgotten something important about the crime scene. Jane followed the feeling downstairs, to the morgue, where Maura was busy again with Chester's corpse.

"How's it hanging?" Maura asked in another of her attempts to use casual colloquialisms. Jane snorted, glancing at her crotch, "a little to the left", she replied and chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. Maura looked confused by Jane's response, but shrugged it off, and continued what she was doing to the boy's ankle. She had flayed off the skin and was probing into bone now. Jane peeked over Maura's shoulder as she walked behind her, noticing metal mixed in with the bone. "Find anything new?" Jane asked. Maura's face fell a little, "yeah, but, nothing we can use. It appears he had some reconstruction done here a couple of years ago, looks like a really awful break", Maura said. The boy's body now lay between them on the table, a familiar scene. "Who was the man he was staying with?" Maura asked. Jane's head snapped up as she realized the key ingredient to the case that she had completely forgotten about until now. How could she possibly forget something so important? Jane took Maura's hand and smiled widely, grasping it close to her chest. Maura was startled by Jane's familiarity with her; she had not touched her so openly in a long time. "Maura, you saved me. Thank you." Jane said, as she let go of the hand and strode out of the office. "Really," Jane added, and shut the door behind her. Maura was left watching the space Jane had left empty in her wake. She rearranged her goggles, smiled to herself, and set back down to work.

Jane continued her stride down the hallway, up the stairs, to her desk. The pictures she had looked at that first day were still piled up on her desk, waiting for her to pay attention to them again. Tossing aside the few on top, Jane found the specific picture she had been thinking of. It was dark and hard to make out, but in the corner she saw some irregularities in the carpet. Irregularities consistent with the bottom of the crate they had found, but with one exception, a round bit in the middle. Jane turned the picture over, memorizing the address for the second time that week. Gathering her gun, badge, and cell phone, Jane made to leave the office. Before she could get in the elevator, she heard the 'clack' of Maura's heels heading her way. Women sometimes have a way of walking that just exudes sex. There's a slight tip of the pelvis, a roll of the hips, which invites sneaky glances, longing stares. Watching Maura walk toward her in a slinky new LBD that was probably hand sewn to fit Maura's precise measurements, Jane's whole body reacted. Her eyelids became drawn, her chest tightened, flurries of butterflies rose in her stomach. Something about Maura was different now, and Jane wasn't the only one aware of it, Maura seemed to have grown a few inches; even taking into account the tall D&G's she so elegantly walked around in. As if she were trying to figure out where the extra height was coming from, Jane studied Maura's tight calf muscles. Maura was deceptively strong, and Jane wondered how her thighs would feel if they were squeezing Jane's hips; Maura's calves gripping Jane's ass while she moved, shoved herself as hard as she could into Maura, her pussy driving roughly down against Maura's own.

Tossed back into reality by a concerned, gentle voice, Jane awoke as if from a dream to a familiar face. Maura looked very worried, her brow creased in the little frown she got sometimes when she was very concerned. It was adorable. "Are you alright? Can you hear me? Jane?", Maura held up her finger, starting to test Jane's cognitive abilities by moving her finger back and forth, watching for Jane's eye movement. "Stop that!" Jane said, and grabbed Maura's hand a little forcefully. "I'm fine. I'm just…tired, and…fuck, I don't know. Tired," Jane trailed off, but started up again, "actually, Maura, I'm confused, like, just maybe something is happening and, well...I'm fine, but…"

The elevator doors opened behind them, a young woman walked in. She couldn't have been more than twenty-five, but the stranger seemed to be eager to see Maura in a more than friendly way. Her smile was brilliant, and Maura's own surprised grin was equally matched. Glancing back at Jane with concern, Maura asked again, "Are you alright, Jane? Really alright?". Jane wanted to say 'no' and stomp out of the room like the heartbroken 15 year old she felt like. She didn't know precisely what, but this woman had ruined a moment between her and Maura that felt like it could have been very important. So Jane hadn't known what she was going to say exactly, that wasn't the point. "Pleasure to be introduced," Jane started as a jab at Maura for neglecting to give her joyous visitor a name (Maura looked aghast as she realized her social gaffe). "I'm Jane Rizzoli, Detective Jane Rizzoli, and you are?" Jane extended her hand in an almost conciliatory gesture. The woman took it firmly, "Claire, nice to meet you, Jane", Claire released Jane's hand instead of the other way around, and Jane found herself getting a little angry. 'I have no right to get pissed, but I'm fucking pissed anyway' thought Jane, as she watched Maura nudge Claire a little in a disgustingly adorable way. It was late, what was this woman doing here anyway, and Jane was forgetting something important, but what was it?

Maura was giggling along with something Claire was murmuring in her ear when she seemed to finally notice Jane's stare. The hard set of her jaw indicated to Maura that all was not well, and she was more aware than ever why not. Jane had never seen her with a woman before because Maura was picky about women. They had to fit together well in all ways, whereas men were more for amusement than anything else, and could easily be replaced. Oh, that was a horrible thought, and Maura felt ashamed, but couldn't ignore the truth of it. Anyway, Jane's eyes on her were incredibly powerful. There was this magnetism Jane had that Maura could find in no one else. It was unreal. Claire's milky white hand clasped her own and tried to pull her back gently as the doctor stepped forward again, towards Jane. "I have to go now, I'm sorry. I wasn't planning on staying so late, and Claire drove from the airport", Maura tried to make her words as kind as possible; she tried to inject a healthy dose of love in the sentence that she knew would hurt Jane. Something had been about to happen between them, of that Maura was well aware. "S'fine, I've got a chore to run anyway," Jane tried to play it off as though she didn't care. It wasn't even so much Claire that was bugging her, although that sucked, it was that she was dying to talk to Maura. The months of silence had been replaced by clamoring words she desperately needed to release from their cages. So much had been unresolved between them, and it was mostly her fault, Jane's own inability to communicate. Dammit, she kicked herself a little as she watched Maura and Claire fade from view, the elevator doors closing on their happy faces. Yet, if Jane knew Maura like she thought she did, she could detect a hint of sadness in Maura's smile. Jane couldn't believe she was letting herself do this, but she decided to just go home for the night. She had left the crime scene's apartment and it's mysteriously vanished renter alone for too long already, so what could one more night hurt? Jane made for her cruiser.

Ready to drown in a night of zombie-like television watching, pizza, and beer; Jane tossed her keys lazily onto the kitchen counter. The room felt sterile, just like it always did when Jane was alone. Yet, Jo Friday was there, sniffing something on Jane's pant cuff while she tried to remove her boots. Something about the room felt wrong; there was a difference that Jane couldn't place. As she glanced around, she noticed one of her drawers slightly askew. Jane was messy and disorganized, but she also naturally tended to pay great attention to detail. Her memory and alertness were key ingredients to her success in the homicide unit, after all. That particular drawer usually housed her iPod and some pens, so Jane couldn't imagine what could be so interesting about it. It was impossible to ignore and shrug off as paranoia, though. As she approached, Jane stepped on something made out of glass. The glass exploded underneath her sock-clad foot, cutting into her soft sole. Swearing, spitting curses, Jane yowled and grabbed her foot, stumble-hopped backwards, into the counter. "FUCK" Jane exclaimed when she noticed the red stain spreading across her sock. Jane picked up the phone and instinctively called Maura, to no avail. Whatever Maura was doing right now, it was not waiting around for Jane's call. Before Jane could think of someone else, her phone started to ring. Maura wasn't too busy for her, after all. Sighing audibly in relief and groaning a bit in pain, Jane answered the phone with a grunt. The voice on the other line was not Maura's, and it was not familiar with Jane's casual greeting. In fact, the voice sounded rather angry…


	3. Chapter 3

"Jane Rizzoli, I presume?" the snide tone of voice put Jane right into pissy mode. "Who the fuck is this?" Jane barked back. "I own the apartment you found a body in last week. I thought you might be interested in speaking to me. I'm extremely interested in speaking to YOU", the man said. Jane had been unable to reach the woman who had barged into the apartment the day they discovered the body, and it seemed as though the apartment's occupant hadn't been around for quite a while. The landlord couldn't even give them a name, so they had assumed whoever was living there was probably involved. Thus, Jane hadn't been expecting them to resurface without some good digging, let alone to reach out to her.

Intentionally softening her voice, Jane responded as evenly as she could, "Yeah, I'm interested. Where can I meet you, and why don't you tell me your name?". For a minute there was only breathing on the line, as though the caller were considering the consequences of revealing his name. "Hotel Cabana, immediately", he said, sounding a little less certain than he had before. Jane noticed that he left his name out, but she had to take what she could get. The line went dead.

The bar was nearly empty, but it stayed open until four despite Massachusetts laws, a fact which Jane decided to dismiss. A young man sat at a corner table in the back, by the jukebox and the bussing station. Without hesitation, Jane made a beeline for him. Maura would have wanted to wait for more evidence that it was the mystery caller, but Jane had no patience for that sort of thing, her instinct was killer anyway.

The young man kept his head down as Jane settled into the chair opposite him. "Hey Kid? You the one who called me?" Jane asked, as kindly as she could. Something about this kid screamed 'innocent', and also a bit pathetic. The man spoke in a quiet mumble aimed at the table. This was a pet peeve of Jane's, and she couldn't help but snap, "hey, look at me; speak up while you're at it".

He responded to this more quickly than Jane had expected. "I used to live there, most of my life. It was rent controlled, so I got the place from my ma when she passed. I don't know anything except that some boy was found there while I was on vacation. No one's gonna believe me, though," he explained. "Less likely to believe you after staying away for this long" Jane admitted.

Her gut told her he was telling the truth, but Maura's annoying, nagging voice in her head kept telling her to be cautious. "Alright, so what happened? What have you been doin' the last couple weeks?" she asked. The bartender looked in their direction pointedly; it was closing time, which made Jane anxious. She had to hurry.

"I've been skiing with my friend Andy in the Catskills. I left the Wednesday before last", the boy answered. The bartender cleared his throat; Jane shot him a look that very clearly said 'fuck off'. "I need to take you into the station" Jane interjected. The boy looked terrified, causing Jane to smirk and reassure him, "I just need to ask you some questions, nothing scary…unless you're the killer, of course," she winked. He seemed confident now when he said, "I'm not. Name's Butch, by the way". Jane smiled fully now, hopefully this kid could breathe some life back into this case.

When they got to the station Jane let a free junior officer take the kid into the questioning room, a bit skeptically. Despite her lack of sleep, she'd caught a second wind, and was ready to tackle that apartment. Now that she was thinking a bit more clearly, Jane realized it would be smart to take someone along. Maura wasn't even an option, since she was clearly busy. Frost, however, would be sleeping at this hour, and Korsak needed his beauty rest more than any of them. "Dammit" Jane crossed her arms, leaned back and chewed on a nail, trying to think about her options. "Whatever, I'll do it myself", Jane decided. She had dealt with worse, after all. Jane grabbed her keys and headed to the cruiser.

At Maura's house, Angela Rizzoli was causing quite a mess. Delighted to meet Maura's "friend" Claire, Ms. Rizzoli insisted on cooking something up for them. Although Maura insisted they were fine and tried to push her away with overly polite 'thank you's', Angela was having none of it. Claire seemed charmed at first, but as it became clear that Angela may have had a hidden agenda, she was growing agitated. Maura, on the other hand, was just overwhelmed in general. Everything seemed to be happening very fast, especially between herself and Claire.

They'd only met right before the last case, a day or two at most, yet here they were having a strangely familiar meal together. Watching Claire bounce her leg distractedly, Maura realized what was giving her the sensation of déjà vu; this could have been her and Jane on any night, was in fact, often what they were doing. Yet, this was a date, it was entirely different. Then why did Maura keep thinking about Jane, drawing parallels between her and Claire? As if on cue, Claire tapped the side of her foot against Maura's and cocked an eyebrow, asking what Maura was spacing out about with her gestures. Maura forced a grin, and if that had been Jane across from her, no one in the room would have believed it was real.

Ma Rizzoli was watching, making the percentage of people who saw through Maura's expression larger. She wiped her hands on her apron and stepped over. "Alright kids, I guess I'll leave you to your fun. Be good…and Maura, I'll be over early to clean the drains out. My ass of an ex-husband did teach me a thing or two". Maura hadn't known she had a problem with her drains, but she did catch on to the fact that Angela was coming over early. "That's really not necessary", Maura said, emphasizing the 'really'. Seemingly oblivious, Angela drifted out of the room without waiting to hear more.

"Well…" Maura said, as she turned to Claire. "How about a fire?" she asked. Claire was eager to do something cozy and romantic, she leaped at the idea. "Yeah, I can totally help with that, y'know, I love camping". "It's just an indoor fireplace, but thank you", Maura replied, blushing at Claire's eagerness. It'd been a long time since she'd been with a woman, let alone one so young, and Maura was beginning to think that she might have taken something on without considering it for long enough beforehand. Well, it would be an experiment, at the least.

At night, the building looked creepier than it had last Jane had seen it. She fumbled for her flashlight at her belt, found it, and turned it on facing the ground. Jane didn't want too much light to be seen by anyone who might be around, as perps tended to revisit the sites of their crimes and stake them out. It was cold, Jane's skin prickled all over, and she shivered. It was the time of night during which most places became ghost towns, a special kind of witching hour.

The door was open, police tape blowing in the light wind. Jane shined the flashlight into the corners, along the edges of the walls. No one was around, but the place had clearly been ransacked. It had been basically empty to begin with, however corners of carpet were torn up, and the walls had many new holes in them. Someone had been looking for something very deliberately; this wasn't some random looting or dumb kids. Maybe kids on meth, Jane admitted to herself. Moving towards the bathroom, she noticed one hole that was larger than the others. There were parts of the wall that looked like they had been broken from within, by something with corners. 'How the hell did THAT happen?' Jane wondered. Maura could figure it out, for sure.

That was a good enough excuse to call her, wasn't it? Jane unhooked her phone from her belt and dialed. "You've reached Maura Isles. I am unable to answer your call at the moment. However, I will call you back within 30.5 minutes if you would please leave a message after the tone." Jane rolled her eyes at the voicemail greeting that was so very Dr. Isles. "Hey, Maura, I got something. I need you to look at it. Call me." Jane hung up the phone, looking at it as she closed it. 'Huh,' she thought, "must be having fun with that annoyingly cheerful Claire girl.'

Fun was not the word Maura would have chosen to describe the time she was spending with Claire. The younger woman was rolling around in her bed, trying to be playful and flirty while Maura went through her bedtime routine. Maura was uncomfortable but trying not to let it show. She had wanted this after all, right? The girl's laughter was starting to grate on her ears, and she thought she might be evoking Jane's impatience at that moment. In the bathroom, Maura undressed to just her panties, a pair she had picked out that morning just for this. They were black designer panties, something even Maura didn't always spring for. A design was c¬¬¬¬ut into the lining of them, crisscrossing an 'x' that rested on the skin above her pussy. This showcased the skin underneath the x, exposed just far enough down that you could see the miniscule dimple that led to Maura's lips.

She looked at herself there in the mirror, unable to deny some arousal flushing her neck and cheeks. The girl was waiting for her, and if she thought of women's bodies, if she could just keep from thinking about Jane or Claire; just image a woman and herself; limbs in motion, pussies meeting, clits brushing while they moved, nipples grazing each other haphazardly; if Maura could just stop thinking about Jane's pussy, Jane's nipples, Jane's clit…then maybe she could do this. Maura touched herself in the mirror, her hand finding its way under the 'x', to her spot. It had worked; she was ready for whatever would happen next.


	4. Chapter 4

The phone ringing in the next room confused Maura. It was far too late for it to be anyone other than homicide. Claire's giggles faded when she saw the look on Maura's face as she rushed out of the bathroom towards her purse on the bed stand. "Oh, shit", Maura blurted, blushing as she realized that Claire was still in the room. Maura rarely swore, but her brain was a mess, confused by all the recent undigested input from the last day. Claire was instantly pouty, a look Maura couldn't help but compare with Jane's (Maura decided Jane's bottom lip was about 2 centimeters thicker than Claire's). Although the look also slightly annoyed her, Maura couldn't help but feel slightly guilty for having to leave without having fulfilled their mutual expectations. Claire stood up from the bed wearing only her bra, her hands in fists against her hips, and her lip still stuck out in a pout. Maura's gaze was steady on the phone she had laid back down by the bed side. "What is it? Let me guess…work?" Claire's voice broke Maura out of her reverie. "Oh, I apologize Claire, I was so looking forward to spending this evening with you. Jane left me a voicemail, she needs me to come look at something in evidence that may help solve a case we've been stuck on", Maura paused, noticing Claire's pout turn to a scowl, "I mean, you could come? Or, I'll be home soon enough, and make it up to you tomorrow night. I promise". It would have to be enough.

Without more light, Jane couldn't tell any more about what had been in the wall. The dark cavernous area behind the drywall was filled with newspaper, dust, and what seemed to be the bones of small rodents. It was revolting, but Jane had learned long ago how to ignore the nastier things in life and focus on the bigger picture. This place hadn't seen much love in the past decade, it was obvious. As she shown her flashlight on the floor by her feet, Jane noticed that the baseboards had been loosened. Someone had taken the whole floor apart and put it back together. It was obvious that something important had been there, but Jane couldn't figure out why anyone would put the floor back together. Unless…

There was something shiny in the dirt . Jane dug it out with the toe of her boot, reached down, and plucked it up gingerly with her now-gloved fingers. It was a locket, but the edges had been soldered shut and the darkness was thick around her, so that was all Jane could really see. As she pressed the evidence baggy closed, Jane heard the softest hint of scratching coming from the kitchen, around the corner. A small animal?

Her heart barely raced these days, but Jane's jaw clenched despite the lack of fear she felt. Instinct was taking over, causing her to feel a sudden rush of rage. The rage scared Jane more than the fear itself, reminded her of the times she had lost control in the past. The moment of Hoyt's death was permanently imprinted upon her mind; she could still smell Hoyt's last breathe of dry, stale saliva hitting her face; his swan song still echoed in her ears. It was as if he had intentionally spat upon her with his dying breath. The ancient Italian gesture for disgust and repulsion was an all too clear parallel.

In that last moment they shared, as Jane had watched Hoyt's blood seeping out from beneath her clenched knuckles, she had realized that he had spat on her in more than one way. Although she had no regrets about killing Hoyt, Jane would be haunted by the memory of a complete lack of self-control. The worst part was that, although it terrified her to think of it now, in that moment Jane had felt like she was flying. It was the essence of freedom, to let her animal instinct take over. The power that loosed beast had over the quivering life in front of her had been intoxicating, almost orgasmic. The thought of it now made Jane gag. She was spacing out again, fuck. This couldn't keep happening, or even she might be forced to question if she were fit for duty. Those thoughts brought Jane back into the room fully. The scratching noise was coming closer, becoming more clearly the distinct sound of shoes on leaves.

Jane wasn't answering, her phone was going straight to voicemail. A grunt at the office informed her that Jane had left a while ago, not to be heard from again. Maura hated it, and she knew Jane would hate it even more, but her guilt and persistent need to be polite saw Maura asking Claire along, provided she remained in the vehicle. Claire was happy to curl up in the passenger seat and rest, and now that her libido had calmed down, she wasn't unpleasant to be around. Pachelbel's Canon in D minor guided them down the highway, to the only place Maura could imagine Jane, bravely sifting for clues alone at the site of the unfinished case's crime scene.

Jane crouched against the wall by the refrigerator, her right hand's fingertips brushing the floor, ready to push her up and across the room if necessary. The footsteps came up the path to the door, stopped at the doorway. Jane's left hand was steady above her gun, only a vein twitching in the knuckle of her ring finger betraying her stoic posture as she readied herself to draw. The door inched open, a soft knock followed.

Knowing better than to just walk right in if Jane were there, Maura called out softly, "Jane?" and waited. "Oh!" she jumped as Jane popped up from her hiding place. Maura couldn't help but to giggle a little at this once she got over the initial shock, Jane's face was so full of annoyance. Sometimes Jane's mood scared her, but other times her grumpiness was enjoyable, even amusing. Jane didn't like that idea, though, and she scowled even more.

This had the unfortunate reaction of sending Maura into a fit of giggles. "What the hell, Maura? Why couldn't you just call me back?" Jane said, more forcefully than she had intended. Maura didn't stop laughing, couldn't if she tried. It was the middle of the night, they were at a crime scene, and the always so careful to behave according to the conduct befitting a medical examiner Maura was practically rolling on the ground, laughing. Jane gave in, the weight of the past few days, and her earlier annoyance sliding off her shaking shoulders. "C'mon, I gotta show you this. I think it's important", Jane guided Maura into the other room, one hand on Maura's delicate shoulder.

Without noticing what she was doing, Jane's thumb hooked itself under the strap of Maura's silk tank top, her fingertips sneaking beneath the cotton oversized pajama sweater, cupping Maura's shoulder blade gently. The warmth under her hand became palpable, and Jane drew her arm back sharply, causing Maura to turn slightly towards her and look at her quizzically. It appeared that Jane had no idea what her hand was doing, although a slight twitch at the bridge of her nose suggested otherwise. Maura felt something inside of her jump, felt something akin to what she imagined an arrhythmia would feel like.

"Where's Claire?" Jane tried not sneer, but she couldn't keep the tone of annoyance out of her voice. They were squatting; Maura was gently brushing through some of the debris with gloved hands. "Claire is in the car, sleeping," Maura answered. "Didn't get much rest, huh?" Jane tried to stay casual, but her voice was betraying her, she blushed at the jealousy even she could hear in her last words and ducked her head, pretending to study something in the dirt. "It's not like that, Jane…it's…" Maura started. Jane cut her off, "it's none of my business, is what it is. You don't have to tell me what you do, or who, for that matter". She'd come across much more harshly than she had intended to. This conversation was going downhill at an accelerating rate. Perhaps it was time for them to end it and get some rest. "I gotta head to the station, get this stuff logged, then try to get some sleep if I can" Jane brushed her hands off on her pants as she said this, stuffed her used gloves in a pocket, and stood. Maura looked up at her and something in her face was thoughtful, almost inquisitive. "Can I come?" Maura asked.

"Home with me?" Jane asked, taken off guard. "No, no! To the station, to drop things off" Maura was quick to reply. "It'd be easier for me to just do it" Jane replied, turning to walk out. "Wait, Jane…" Maura called after her, "come and stay with me tonight." Jane was obviously confused; Maura's words had come out of nowhere. "Why?" the detective asked incredulously. "I just want you to, is that alright?" Maura looked embarrassed, but she wasn't backing down.

"Umm…I need to drop this stuff off still, like I said, and…"Jane hesitated, pulled between her desire to be around Maura and her fear of what that could mean. "Jane? Please?" Maura's last words sealed the deal, decided their fate. Jane's face softened and she agreed, "alright, I'll head over as soon I get these dealt with". Jane sauntered off and Maura watched her leave, figuratively kicking herself for her thoughtlessness. 'What about Claire? What will I do with both of them?' Maura asked herself. What had she been thinking? How was Jane going to handle Claire all night? How would Maura handle the two of them, at once?


	5. Chapter 5

Note: It's the holiday season and I'm uber busy until break, so I'll be releasing the new parts in bits and pieces. Sorry so short, but I hope that it will at least be a nice thing to get fairly regular updates; a trade off of between that and getting no updates for longer periods of time. I haven't written you peeps a note yet, so I wanted to send a shout out to those who have added me as a favorite/alert/left a comment/read this thing. Constructive criticism is more than welcomed; it is in fact valuable to me. I even invite plain old criticism itself, and the like. However, this story owns me more than I own it, and I gotta do the whole "I'm an artist, I must realize my own vision" thing on the whole. Relax, you ain't seen nothin' yet…

The car couldn't go fast enough for Jane, even though she took full advantage of her cop status, careening down the Boston side streets at hazardous speeds. Her pulse was racing, although she wasn't sure why.

Maura's words were ringing in her head, replacing the much less pleasant sounds of Hoyt's death and her mother's nagging words about her failures, not to mention the case waiting so patiently for her brain to reorient itself. Jane's lips were tight, as though she were headed into battle, her eyes focused like lasers on the road disappearing under her car.

What was Maura thinking? Asking her to come along on what was obviously a date, in the middle of the night, for no apparent reason. Jane cursed as she swerved around a drunken man who had tripped into the street at the last moment. "FUCK!" she shouted again, punching the wheel with her right fist while her left stayed lock in its death grip on the other side.

This time she was swearing not about the driving conditions, but about her thudding heartbeat, the blood she felt rushing to parts of her she hadn't felt connected to in months.

For it had been a long time since Jane had gone there, touched herself "down there". She blushed even at the thought. It was as though she had regressed to an age when sex was truly taboo and somewhat terrifying. Jane had never been particularly adventurous in bed, or even that sexually driven, but this was a whole different story.

Thinking about it some more, it was almost amusing to her how many men she had slept with who had expected her to be some sort of Amazonian princess under the sheets, she smiled as she remembered the pout her last date had given her when she refused to use handcuffs on him, and the look on his face when instead, she picked him up by his collar and showed him where he could put his fantasies.

That kind of thing, it just wasn't Jane's style. In fact, now that she thought about it, Jane had never really enjoyed sex in any form, except for sometimes by herself. It was a secret she was ashamed of, probably contributing to the awkward moments she had with Maura when the other woman attempted to discuss it in various ways with her.

Something Jane had never told anyone was that she had never had an orgasm, never been betrayed by one, not even on her own. Jane thought of sex as an expression of weakness, of orgasms as the ultimate relinquishment of control to another. The thought alone made her shiver with discomfort. Somehow Maura popped into Jane's mind.

When she did have sexual fantasies, or flashes of them, Jane could never see faces. Yet this was an image of Maura's face full of vulnerability and trust, looking up at her from a kneeling position, entirely nude, her plump tits greeting Jane eagerly.

Jane saw her hand holding Maura's chin, her other hand on her belt buckle, ever so slowly working the leather backwards through the metal loop. Maura's eyes were widening, her mouth slightly opened, her breathing coming in shorter sips, faster. The hand holding Maura's chin clenched tighter; pouting Maura's lips just a little, but not enough to hurt.

Jane felt completely in control, all-powerful. It ended almost as soon as it began, but the outlines of her vision remained behind as though a bright light had flashed behind them, burning Maura's eyes and lips into her retinas. Managing despite these visuals to park in front of the station in her usual spot, Jane bounded towards the door, to the evidence room.

It was getting very late. Maura sat in her living room with Claire, who was slumped down on the sofa, trying valiantly not to nod off. As Claire's head dropped for the fifth time and her eyelashes fluttered closed, Maura considered the young boy's ankle again.

The reconstruction, she had to know what it was. Something had crushed the boy's foot, but Maura hadn't been able to figure out what. She had eliminated most of the popular cars by weight and tire structure, but nothing else was coming to mind. It was a little known fact that Maura's field of work required creativity. Unfortunately, she had reached what artists call a "block".

Watching Claire's chest slow, Maura felt her affection for the younger woman grow. Claire was muscular, but still feminine, petite like Maura in all ways except for her musculature. Maura traced her index finger along the ridge of Claire's clavicle, down into her cleavage, stopping short of the top of her bra. Claire's responding shiver resulted in a quickly rising small bump near the middle of each bra cup, evidence of her arousal, even in her sleep.

Unable to resist, Maura stroked the crest at the top of where Claire's breasts met, allowing her fingertips to fully touch Claire's skin, but resisting the urge to travel lower without expressed consent. The intent to acquire such consent was behind Maura's more obvious touches. Claire's eyes fluttered open; she stared up into Maura's face, taking the doctor by surprise a little bit. "Hi", Claire said, with a sleepy smile. "Hello. You seemed to be falling into a REM state, so I apologize for waking you, but I…umm", Maura trailed off as the sandy blond focused her brilliant green eyes more intensely on Maura's own eyes.

Without breaking her gaze, Claire propped herself up on her elbows, lifting her head closer to Maura's and then stopping just short of her personal bubble. Looking down at Claire, her hair falling in front of her eyes, Maura felt herself become drawn to Claire's lips like the theoretically unavoidable pull of gravity.

As she noticed Claire's eyes darting to the spot where her lips curved into a small, mischevious smile, Maura felt a swelling sensation inside of her lower abdomen, somewhere beneath her pubic bone, making her pussy clench a little in response.

The lip glances were a sure sign that the other woman was thinking about kissing her; was wanting it as much as Maura surprisingly did, herself. Maura let herself sink into the inevitable collision of their mouths, feeling Claire's chest push up against her own as the young woman's lungs filled with air that had been inside of Maura only seconds earlier.

It was gentle, timid, but not lacking a certain passion. Claire wasn't the world's best kisser, but she was a thoughtful one. Maura pulled back, tracing her tongue along Claire's top lip and then catching her bottom lip gently in a slow dragging nibble as she withdrew. The sigh Claire released upon their parting was unmistakably full of lust. Maura felt something in her grow warm; she knew Claire was intent on satisfying her, was in fact intent upon it.

Maura's thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell and a sudden rush of oxygen from Claire's lungs, her chest falling suddenly and swiftly, her breath hot against Maura's neck. Claire had begun to kiss her there.

"That's probably Jane. I'm so sorry, Claire, I know this isn't what you were expecting", Maura said as she rushed to get up. "It's fine, really", Claire's voice was slightly impatient, but she was still enamored of the older woman, and had been partly sated by their kissing.

Jane was standing much as she had the first night she came over. Her old leather jacket hung off of her, her hand was even in the same pose, caught in her wild tangle of dark curls. As Maura opened the door wide and the light shone through unto the angular planes of Jane's striking bone structure, nobody could have denied Jane's attractiveness.

Maura herself felt a slight increase in her pulse, felt her stomach drop a little, and her pussy tighten much more intensely than it had earlier, in a pang of desire she rarely felt despite her sexual appetite. This was almost painful in its urgency. Jane lifted her eyes to Maura's, met them with such intensity that Maura felt like she would pass out. This thing between them had been growing for so long, it had been fed instead of starved by their recent silences, and now it loomed over them like the grey of a Boston winter's day. In that exact moment both women knew they had reached a point of no return.

Yet Jane tried to walk as casually as possible into the room, crossing to Claire on the sofa, consciously avoiding direct contact with Maura. Maura was a little hurt, she bunched her eyebrows together in her usual worried manner, and she wondered why Jane found that so necessary. Was Jane just afraid? Or was something else going on?

"How's it going?" Jane's nod brought the young woman from her comfortable lying down position into an instant upright posture tha Jane cocked an eyebrow at her and couldn't help but release a little smirk as well. "I see you two have been having an exciting evening", Jane teased.

"It's been interesting", Claire answered, unsure of what to make of Jane's moods, and entirely aware of the older woman's disapproving attitude earlier in the evening. Maura knew how hard it was to read Jane at first; she even had some trouble every once in a while. The M.E. decided to ease the tension with those ever-present social skills she had so finely tuned.

"Wine, anyone?" Maura offered. Both women nodded, Jane making herself comfortable at the other end of the sofa, her long legs sprawled in front of her and to the left in an attempt to keep her feet off of the coffee table.

In the doctor's absence, the silence stretched out between Jane and Claire, becoming increasingly awkward. "So, um…do you like it? Being a detective?" Claire tried to start the conversation in a voice that was obviously trying not to sound intimidated. The younger woman was not used to playing gamma to someone else's alpha, but was also caught up in the aura of BAMF that Jane couldn't help but project.

Jane shot her a look, but decided to try to be kind and answer, since the woman had expected a date with Maura and ended up with her (it must have been quite the disappointment, Jane couldn't help but feel pleased by that).

"It's my life, like it or not. Not always easy, but neither is the military, right?", Jane said, shrugging.

"No, I get what you mean. Like, I never knew about stuff I see all the time now, never even imagined it. I wouldn't change it, though. I know I help people too." Claire answered Jane's question, although she couldn't tell if it had been intended to be rhetorical or not.

Jane seemed to be thinking about that as Maura returned from the kitchen. "Ever question that?" Jane asked Claire, who was now giving Jane her full attention despite the M.E.'s presence.

"I guess maybe sometimes, like not even when I'm driving in the firefights or the parts you'd think I would, but just when I'm sitting around. I wonder if the good guys are really winning", Claire seemed unsure if she should admit this. Jane's quick response reassured her, "I wonder what winning is", she let slip. Maura was surprised to hear Jane speaking like this; even alone with Maura, Jane was normally more reserved. The doctor slipped between the two women, placing the tea tray down on the table at their feet and gingerly lowering herself down into the space between them. Maura was linking them all, touching both women's thighs with her own, making everyone feel a little awkward.

Somehow Jane liked this feeling. The girl wasn't so bad, maybe she even had a little in common with her. Maura seemed uncomfortable, however, and Jane didn't like that. She wondered what she had interrupted between the M.E. and the blond. Maura turned to Jane a little bit too suddenly, her hair managing to whip Claire in the face as she did so. Jane couldn't help but let out a short laugh, and Claire looked slightly perturbed as she moved a little too slowly away, kicking over the tea tray. "Oops!" Maura scrambled adorably to stand as the tray flipped over. She fell back unto Jane, her hand grabbing Jane's thigh hard, Jane's muscle jumping in response to the unexpected contact. Claire tried to reach out to steady Maura and became the hero. Jane was laughing, amused and happy about the fact that Maura's hand still clasped her leg, despite the fact that there was no longer a need for it. Claire burst out laughing, and suddenly they were all laughing together. The awkwardness was gone, just like that, and conversation flowed easily between all of them well into the night.

As the sun through her drawn curtains, Maura realized the time. "Jane, where would you like to sleep? I'm putting Claire in the guest room, so that leaves you the options of the couch or my own bed," she asked.

"I don't mind sharing, either", Claire offered a bit too eagerly for Maura. 'Watch it' her expression warned Claire without any forethought.

"I'll bunk with you, I guess", Jane couldn't help but let some of her joy at the prospect of sleeping next to Maura again for the first time in a long while come through in her voice. They wished Claire a goodnight and headed off to Maura's room together.


	6. Chapter 6

What had once been easy and tension free was now a little strange. Jane's old side of the bed was waiting for her where it had always been, but they had both changed so much since the last time she had slept there.

It was around the time Jane had been shot, when they had begun to fall out of place. Jane hadn't wanted Maura around as much while she healed; she was proud and hated her neediness, and Maura was the person who could see through Jane better than anyone else (whatever Jane's mom thought she saw). While Jane recovered, she hid from as many people as possible who cared about her. Maura hadn't been easy to shrug, but with a little obnoxiousness at just the right times, Jane had succeeded in driving her away a bit.

Maura, for her part, had been terrified. Jane's injury left her completely alone after she had finally felt companionship for the very first time. Jane's absence, the coldness by her side where warmth had so recently been, terrified Maura. It seemed to almost have been better before, when Maura didn't know what it was like to lose something.

When Jane came back to reality Maura had wanted to hold her in place, to stop them at that point and keep them right there, where she knew Jane was safe in her care. Jane had given her the cold shoulder, had brushed her aside.

Looking around at everyone else, Maura knew she was supposed to find comfort in someone else, specifically a male someone. Sex was supposed to be more than an orgasm, it was supposed to be a union that left people feeling less alone. When it came to sex, Maura couldn't feel that connection , no matter how hard she tried. Sex was an orgasm at best, and left her feeling emptier than before, especially after Jane fell away from her.

Now Jane's hand clutched the pillow she had lifted from her former spot, she pulled it in close to her chest and absently worried away at the fabric with her fingertips. Maura noticed Jane's twitchy behavior and realised the other woman was feeling as strange as she as. This moment was a long time in the making, and it was still so fragile.

Jane cleared her throat, looked down into the pillow a bit, avoided eye contact with Maura. "I'm sleeping here then, again...now?". Maura couldn't understand why Jane was pausing at that moment, since they had just had such a relaxed time a few minutes ago. However, she too felt awkward, and hoped that the wine they had drunk would kick in a little more so they could just pass out. Unfortunately, considering both of their respective body compositions, this was highly unlikely.

"I assumed, so, yes...unless you'd like different accomodations. Claire was eager to share with someone?" Maura paused for effect in one of her attempts at a joke, and Jane couldn't help but grin. They both laughed then, Jane flung the pillow at Maura haphazardly, and accidently hit Maura a bit too hard.

"Oh my god, Maura!" Jane pushed up from the bed and rushed over to where Maura stood, cradling her elbow.

"I'm fine, really...it's just, well...I believe you call this the "funny bone", Maura spat out between gritted teeth. Her face was anything but mad, however. Maura looked delighted to be standing there rubbing her arm with Jane close to holding her.

Which is when Jane realized where she was, when she looked down finally and saw Maura waiting. Maura had been waiting for her for a very long time, she realized. Jane leaned down and took Maura's injured arm, gently lifted it to her lips, and placed the smallest of nips on the spot that hurt.

The lips that had so recently been forming shapes of pain were now parted just slightly, allowing release of shallower and shallower breaths that escaped Maura as Jane leaned closer toward her. Jane pulled Maura's arm up and over her shoulder, rested Maura's hand right there, and then moved her own arm to encircle Maura's waist. Jane's fingertips stopped just short of Maura's tailbone, she spread her hand wide to embrace as much of Maura as she could at once.

They moved closer together. Maura draped her other arm over Jane's matching shoulder, so that she encircled Jane in return, and the movement pulled their lips closer. Jane's left hand lifted to Maura's face, cradled it at a slight tilt.

Maura's eyes were magical, were the pools that poets wrote like idiots about. Jane suddenly understood the Shakespeare she had hated as it was crammed down her throat, she appreciated the classical music Maura always played for her, she saw for the first time the power of art, in that moment. Maura's eyes opened Jane's.

In response, Jane's lips could not help but find Maura's. They kissed, and for the first time never, neither of them felt even a little bit alone.

The limbs that encircled one and another drew tighter around them as their kiss intensified. Their mouths clashed and twisted, pulled them together even more. Then they began to slow down, to taste each other truly. Maura noted that Jane tasted like the smell of fresh laundry, cut grass, and a little like toothpaste, with some men's cologne thrown in somewhere. Jane just thought Maura tasted like magic.

Their mouths got slower and slower, until their lips just barely touched. Jane spoke against Maura's lips now, so lightly that Maura could feel her words more than hear them, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Jane trailed off as Maura began to kiss her again, erasing her words as she did so.

"Don't be sorry," Maura whispered into Jane's mouth, then clenched her teeth down just a tiny bit on her lower lip. Jane felt herself get tingly all over, felt goosenbumps sprout on her arms and legs and tits when Maura did that. She pulled Maura's head in and kissed her passionately again, but more slowly this time.

"I'm not sorry", Jane growled into Maura's mouth. She reached down with the hand not holding Maura's face, and clutched her hip, pulled Maura to her.

"Good, neither am I", Maura grinned in response, then moaned a little as Jane's grip tightened on just the right spot on her hip bone.

"Mmm...", Jane pushed Maura slowly by her hip, moved her slowly down onto the bed, where she was looked up at Jane eagerly.

"You're so goddamn beautiful", Jane choked out, unexpectedly overcome by the reality of the moment. Maura took Jane's wrist from her hip and pulled her down so that one of Jane's legs was straddling her while her other leg remained planted on the floor.

"Come here, please" Maura pulled Jane further down, and Jane leaned over Maura, inched them up the bed a little so that both of her knees were on the bed and Maura was covered by her body.

"Let me take this off?" Jane asked about Maura's shirt. A nod gave her the permission she needed to nudge the silky top up and over Maura' taught stomach. Jane stopped just at the place where Maura's ribs began. She looked to Maura for permission, and when Maura bit her lip in anticipation of her touch, Jane found her thumb slipping under the wire of Maura's bra, felt the swell of Maura's breast in the cup of her palm.

Jane pushed Maura's shirt up quickly now and pulled it over her head, watched as Maura's hair fell back down around her shoulders so effortlessly and perfectly. Jane's own hair had become a wild mane which Maura now ran her fingers through as she tried to get as much of Jane to touch her as possible.

As Jane's hands moved on her breasts more firmly, found the right places to knead and tweak, Maura felt herself rock into Jane, felt their pelvises grind together automatically. Maura let her head fall back a little and took in Jane's desparate kisses against her neck, across her clavicle, down her ribs, and back up; to where Jane's tongue finally met Maura's nipple and pulled it into her mouth so quickly that they both sort of gasped, and Maura arched into Jane without any intention on her behalf.

Jane was turned on in ways she didn't know existed. Her pussy throbbed more insistently than ever before; Maura's had to be soaked. She reached a hand down to touch herself to check, and felt Maura grind against her hand.

Damn, it felt like a magnet was drawing her into Maura, Jane wanted nothing more than to push herself inside of the woman beneath her. Yet, she couldn't do it, was worried she wouldn't know how to make it feel the way it was supposed to. Maybe she wouldn't be able to make Maura cum, since she couldn't even do it to herself properly.

"Please, Jane" Maura reached down and took Jane's hand, guided it to herself. Jane almost pulled away, but let herself be led where she had wanted to go all along, to Maura.

Maura left Jane's fingertips brushing her panties and let Jane's fingers nervously find their own way under the fabric. Jane's knuckle nudged her clit and Maura shuddered against her in response.

"Please", Maura said again, and Jane finally pushed into her, strong and quick. Maura gripped Jane's hand between her thighs, arched into Jane and gripped her shoulders suddenly. Marks were instantly left where she grabbed, but she kept grabbing new spots as Jane began to move inside of her.

They rocked together, Maura pushed herself as hard as she could against Jane's fingers. Jane felt like she could barely move her arm, Maura's pussy was so tightly clenched around her. Yet, she found the strength to move them both in a ryhthm that seemed almost practiced.

Maura's eyes widened and she looked straight into Jane's eyes as her orgasm roared through her. The feeling of Maura cumming against her hand, of her pussy tightening and stretching and then clenching down so hard Jane couldn't feel her fingers anymore at all, but could somehow feel every inch of Maura; it completely redefined sex for Jane.

Jane didn't pull out for a minute, they continued to stay like that as after-shocks hit Maura for so long that her cum began to feel cold against their skin. Jane pulled out slowly, noticed Maura shudder as Jane's fingers left her. Maura looked up at Jane and their kiss was kismet, was meant to happen then.

As they kissed, Maura's hand trailed up Jane's torso, then down again, she let it follow the line of Jane's side. Maura's fingers grasped at Jane's hem, and for a brief moment Jane drew back. The obvious hurt in Maura's face brought Jane back to her, and Jane's reassurring kiss allowed Maura to continue to pull off her plain black t-shirt, to expose a muscular abdomen and shoulders that somehow were also beautifully feminine in their power.

Maura explored Jane's chest, noticed the little freckles, the smooth quality of her olive skin, it's tightness. With the tip of her tongue, Maura drew circles across one of Jane's nipples, then increased the speed to a flicking motion. As she heard Jane moan, Maura increased the speed more and took more of Jane's breast in her mouth. The pressure she placed down when she licked also increased, as did Jane's throaty noises that she couldn't help but release.

Jane felt herself lose control, something that rarely happened. Usually this would be when she shut down the whole operation, but it rarely got to a point where she felt anything at all. Yet Maura was somehow comforting, even when she was making Jane this wonderfully uneasy. Jane brushed some hair back from Maura's face, watched her mouth move on Jane's own breast, and felt complete peace. This was how it was supposed to feel.

Whatever Maura was doing with her tongue felt absolutely amazing, but Jane wanted more now. She bent her knees and widened her legs a little, letting one of them drop to the side.

Maura took this opportunity to bring herself up on top of Jane, her body between Jane's legs. Maura pressed her pussy into Jane's and continued to tease her nipples as she moved. The friction between them built as Jane lost control of her movements more and more.

"Ride me" Jane commanded. At first Maura didn't know if she wanted to let Jane have that control, but when she looked at Jane's hooded eyes and the smouldering desire behind them, Maura couldn't deny Jane what she wanted.

Maura lifted herself, knees bent, and lowered herself directly on top of Jane so that their clits touched. The wetness between them was incredible. Jane pushed up into Maura and Maura pushed right back down. They moved together slowly at first, and then faster.

"Shit" Jane said from between clenched teeth, as her abs tensed uncontrollably. Something about Maura's clit being on her own made Jane feel almost overcome with lust. Her pussy was almost painfully in need of more stimulation, she could feel it, and Maura's also seemed to be.

Maura must have sensed Jane's need increase, because she stopped and, ignoring Jane's protests, moved so that her face was between Jane's legs. She had always wanted to try this to see if she was any good at cunnilingus, but now she just wanted to make Jane cum as hard as she could.

What Maura's tongue did on her nipples was nothing compared to what it did to her pussy. Jane's knees shook, her whole body shook, in fact. She was grasping at air, at the blankets, at Maura's hair and head as she lost control.

"MAURA!" Jane screamed as she came in Maura's mouth, hard and fast. Jane pressed down on Maura's head, and eager not to dissappoint her despite the lack of oxegyn, Maura pushed harder with her tongue, used her whole mouth on Jane now.

The orgasms that had eluded Jane until now seemed to all be released then, as she completely lost herself to Maura. Jane shook and clutched at whatever was near as they rode them out together in almost complete silence.

Jane's mouth was stretched so wide in a long, silent scream of pleasure that Maura started to worry that she was choking. Yet, eventually, it ended. Jane shook against Maura more gently, and they both shuddered a little together as what now felt like one giant orgasm ended.


End file.
